The Role of Subnational Leaders in the Fight Against Climate Change

Keynote:

• Jonathan Pershing, Climate and Foreign Policy Advisor, Office of the Special U.S. Presidential Envoy for Climate

Panelists:

• Benoit Charette, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Quebec, Canada
• Jan Philipp Albrecht, Minister of Energy Transition, Agriculture, Environment, Nature, and Digitization, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany
• Wade Crawfoot, Secretary of Natural Resources, California, U.S.
• Kathleen Theoharides, Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs, Massachusetts, U.S.

Moderator:

• Joan Fitzgerald, Visiting Fellow, The German Marshall Fund of the United States & Professor, School of Public Policy and Urban Affairs, Northeastern University

Presider:

• Reta Jo Lewis, Senior Fellow and Director of Congressional Affairs, The German Marshall Fund of the United States 

Subnational governments are the first responders to climate crisis and action; with 100 year natural disaster events happening every year and the need for green energy and jobs increasing, leaders of states, regions and provinces have risen to the occasion for their citizens. In the U.S., 25 states committed themselves to the Paris Climate Agreement in the absence of previous federal leadership. In Europe, through the Committee on the Regions, subnational officials have been focused on a green coronavirus recovery. And in Canada, three Canadian provinces—Nova Scotia, British Columbia, and Quebec—already have a price on carbon and are investing to reduce their GHG emissions. These regions are not acting alone. Quebec has a robust cap-and-trade market and Quebec is working to provide clean hydroelectric power to help Northeastern states, such as Massachusetts meet their decarbonization goals. Finally, the Under2 Coalition coalesces these subnational collaborations and commitments to fight climate change through their global community of subnational actors, including those from the U.S., Europe, and Canada.

Please join us for an online event hosted by the German Marshall Fund of the United States, in collaboration with the Quebec Government Office in Washington, that will call attention to the importance of subnational engagement as the United States re-enters the fight against climate change. Leading up to the White House Climate Leaders’ Summit, this event will be a part of the U.S. Climate Action Event and will highlight the role of subnational actors in responding to climate change, with a spotlight on the province of Quebec, Canada, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, and Massachusetts, U.S., as leading states and provinces. 

If you have any questions, please contact Matthew Drygulski at [email protected]